FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT,
6TH -19TH MARCH 2006
By Cathie Welchman

Fairtrade fortnight is designed to inform the public about the meaning of "fairtrade". It is co-ordinated by the Fairtrade Foundation, and brings together retailers, development agencies, women's organisations, churches, local councils, campaigners and local individuals, to encourage shoppers to choose Fairtrade products. All the big supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, the Co-op, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose will be planning promotional activities, such as free tasting sessions, as they did last year. Many independent shops and local councils, Universities and various other groups and individuals will also be hosting producer talks, giving out fairtrade information, holding coffee mornings, food fairs, yoga classes, tugs of war, wine tasting and sampling sessions to raise the public awareness of the benefits of supporting fairtrade producers.

During Fairtrade fortnight the Fairtrade Foundation invites representatives of the producer groups in developing countries over to the UK. They meet and exchange experiences with consumers, and explain in person how the fairtrade system is benefiting their communities. Last year Ruth Zuniga- Zuniga, a quality controller at Co-optrabasur, a banana growers' cooperative in Costa Rica, gave a personal message to UK shoppers. She said "I would like to encourage you to buy our fruit, because it is very good. We use much less chemicals than other companies, and we manage the environment better.....We are proud to send good quality bananas.... We would like to export other fruits in the future. You demand high quality and we are happy to provide it."

The fairtrade idea was initiated by Oxfam, and in 1992, in conjunction with several other organisations, the Fairtrade Foundation was set up to help food growers in developing countries to earn a living wage, whilst also providing sustainability and protection for their environment. For example, under the system, the use of agrochemicals and chemical fertilisers is minimised, and they are gradually replaced with organic fertilisers and biological disease control. Weed control on banana plantations must be carried out without the use of pesticides. The fairtrade mark guarantees farmers a fair and stable price for their products. Producers also receive a premium to re-invest in local projects, such as schools, installation of electricity and healthcare facilities. Small producers are able to hold a stronger position in world markets by joining up with other small producers to form co-operative producer organisations. So today there are 422 producer groups, representing more than 5 million growers and their families across 49 developing countries, who now benefit and there are more than 500 products with the fairtrade mark on sale in the UK.

Tremendous Fairtrade publicity has been generated and it is said that one in two people now understand what the fairtrade mark stands for. Products now offered include fresh and dried fruit, coffee, tea, chocolate, juice, spices, honey, wine, ale, footballs, cut flowers, rum, cotton, nuts, oils, quinoa and rice. Britain has now overtaken Switzerland to become the biggest importer of Fairtrade goods in the world; with coffee, bananas, tea and chocolate being the biggest sellers. With more of us becoming concerned that the people who produce the goods receive a fair deal, in 2004 we imported over half a million fairtrade bananas, and drank 3 million fairtrade hot drinks.

Marks and Spencer, Starbucks and Costa Coffee offer fairtrade coffee in all their cafes, and all the main supermarkets now offer fairtrade coffee, tea, chocolate and bananas. The world's first fairtrade coconuts are being sold by Sainsbury's. A co-operative of 47 Costa Rica smallholders are selling fresh pineapples through Asda, the Co-op, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose stores. The Co-op sells Fairtrade honey. Fairtrade avocados from South Africa are available from some Asda, Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitrose stores. JP Fairtrade fruit juices are sold through the Co-op, Sainsburys, Tescos, Iceland, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose. Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's offer own brand tea and coffee, (regular and decaf.). Vanilla pods from Flavoured Herbs (www.fmfoods.co.uk) are available from Waitrose. Clipper teas (www.clipper-teas.com) are available from independent stores, via mail order or on-line. There are some interesting healthy Clipper blends on offer too, such as green tea with echinacea, gingko, ginseng or lemon.

Some companies even offer a fairtrade organic choice now as well. The Co-op offers organic tea bags, as does Clipper teas (green tea with aloe vera, chamomile, black chai, earl grey etc.), and Organic Tea Growers and Traders Ltd. offer lemon, jasmine, ginger, orange and green teas. Oxfam offers Teadirect tea bags, and organic green tea with lemongrass or cinnamon. Traidcraft sells organic coffee. Steenbergs (www.steenbergs.co.uk) offers organic black peppercorns. And for the least fattening chocolate try Green and Blacks Maya Gold organic dark chocolate, which is available through most major supermarkets and health food stores.

If you would like more information about Fairtrade fortnight, or would like to help by displaying posters or holding a promotion event, contact The Fairtrade Foundation, Room 204, 16 Baldwin's Gardens, London EC1N 7RJ, or tel. 020 7405 5942. For more up-to-date information check out their website on www.fairtrade.org.uk , or email media@fairtrade.org.uk. Other organisations that regularly organise annual Fairtrade fortnight events are Plymouth council, Oxfam, Traidcraft (0191 491 0591, www.traidcraftshop.co.uk), and somersetfairtrade.org.uk. West Devon Fairtrade will send out action packs to help publicise Fairtrade fortnight. Email them at fortnight@fairtrade.org.uk.


Cathie Welchman is a, writer, therapist and producer of Gaia flower and gem essences. She is based in Barnstaple, Exeter and Tiverton. If you would like more information on therapies offered please contact her on 01884 259130.